Avenatti, a self-proclaimed advocate of women’s rights, was booked on a felony domestic violence charge. Though details of the alleged incident have yet to be released, authorities told BuzzFeed News it had occurred at a residence on Santa Monica Boulevard near Beverly Hills. The celebrity gossip website TMZ initially identified the alleged victim as Lisa Storie-Avenatti, his estranged wife, but her attorneys issued a denial.

Advertisement

"Ms. Storie-Avenatti was not subject to any such incident on Tuesday night. Further, she was not at Mr. Avenatti’s apartment on the date that this alleged incident occurred," they said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. "My client states that there has never been domestic violence in her relationship with Michael."

Avenatti was released on $50,000 bail a few hours after his arrest. Shortly after his release, he denied the claims. "I have never struck a woman. I never will strike a woman. I have been an advocate for women’s rights my entire career, and I’m going to continue to be an advocate," he said at a news conference after being released from jail. "I am not going to be intimidated from stopping what I am doing. I am a father to two beautiful, smart daughters. I would never disrespect them by touching a woman inappropriately or striking a woman. I am looking forward to a full investigation, at which point I am confident that I will be fully exonerated."

On Twitter, where he has amassed nearly 900,000 followers since catapulting to the public eye, he wrote: "Thank you to everyone who has reached out with supportive messages and offers of assistance. It means the world to me. I have always been an advocate of women's rights and equality & I always will be. I will not be intimidated into stopping my pursuit of justice and what is right."